Our sense of smell is a powerful tool used to judge a location's healthfulness and cleanliness, which is why retailers offer such a wide array of chemical sprays, gels, solids and plug-ins to scent our spaces. Three-quarters of all American homes are now scented with some type of commercial air freshener, an increase of nearly 30 percent since 1999.
Synthetic scents contain harmful chemicals. A study published in the Archives of Environmental Health linked chronic exposure to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air fresheners to headaches and depression in new mothers and diarrhea and ear aches in their babies.
Harmful VOCs in air fresheners include benzene and formaldehyde, which are byproducts of the manufacturing process. Benzene exposure can damage bone marrow, which can decrease red blood cells and affect immunity. Long-term exposure to airborne benzene has also been linked to increased risk of anemia and leukemia. Formaldehyde, a known carcinogenic neurotoxin, can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and skin.
Most air fresheners—even some labeled “all natural”—use phthalates as fixatives. Easily inhaled or absorbed through the skin, these chemicals accumulate in the body's fatty tissue and liver, where they can remain for decades. High phthalate levels have been shown to cause low sperm counts and reproductive damage to male rat fetuses.
There are two broad air freshener categories: continuous action and instant action. Continuous action products include: scented candles and devices which use a candle flame or some other heat source to heat and vaporize a fragrance formulation, Incense burners, wall plug-ins which either use piezoelectric technology to aerosolize fragrance or heat to vaporize it, fragrance impregnated gels which release fragrance as the gel evaporates sometimes with the help of an electric fan, wick and reed diffusers which release fragrance by evaporation from fragrance-soaked wicks or wooden reeds; and fragrance impregnated materials like floor wax, paper, plastics, wood which release fragrance by off gassing; and lastly nebulization systems which convert liquid fragrances into a vapor in a cold process without the use of heat.
Instant action systems are mainly aerosol sprays, or atomizers. The aerosol spray uses a propellant and fragrance packaged under pressure in a sealed metal or glass container with a valve which is opened by pressing down a button which contains a spray nozzle—the actuator. When the container's valve is opened by pressing the actuator, fragrance is forced through the spray nozzle located inside the actuator to create a mist of droplets containing fragrance. These droplets are 30 to 50 micrometers in diameter. The atomizer is a glass, metal or plastic container of fragrance which operates in a similar fashion except that the actuator is a pump which when pressed a few times creates the pressure to aspirate the fragrance from the container through a tube into the actuator and spray nozzle. The mist created contains droplets 50 to 150 micrometers in diameter.
Many aerosol air fresheners contain para-dichlorobenzene, naphthalene and formaldehyde—central nervous system depressants. Formaldehyde can cause symptoms such as headaches, ear infections, sinus problems, watery eyes, asthma, bronchitis, joint pains, chronic fatigue syndrome, dizziness and chest pain. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, formaldehyde is known to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans. Another common air freshener ingredient, P-dichlorobenzene, has been found to diminish the sense of smell and may cause cancer. Tri-chloroethylene, also commonly found in aerosol air fresheners, has been found to cause dizziness and irregular breathing.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a recent study found harmful chemicals known as phthalates in 12 air freshener products, including some marketed as “all-natural”and “unscented.” None of the air fresheners listed phthalates on their labels. When air freshener is sprayed, the phthalates are released into the air where they can be inhaled or absorbed through a person's skin. Once in the bloodstream, they can alter hormone levels and cause other health problems. According to the State of California, five types of phthalates, including one commonly found in air fresheners, are known to cause birth defects and reproductive harm. Phthalate exposure in indoor environments has also been associated with allergic symptoms and asthma.
Non-spray air fresheners, such as those designed to plug into an outlet or stick to a hard surface have also been found to carry health risks. Many of these products contain a toxic chemical known as benzyl acetate. According to International Programme on Chemical Safety, short-term exposure to benzyl acetate can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract, and it may affect the central nervous system. Benzyl acetate can be absorbed by inhalation or ingestion. Long-term repeated exposure may cause kidney damage.
There remains a need for a 100% all natural, safe and effective composition of air freshener.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide the desired features described herein as well as additional advantages of providing an 100% natural air freshener that is infused with vitamins.